Well, the first volunteer weekend of the year is now officially scheduled for April 24-25 at our 'unique' property in Orillia.

Participants will be engaged in a number of tasks ranging from planting wetland seeds, transplanting of wetland plants from the future boardwalk route to the shore of the big pond, completing and fencing the outdoor red-eared slider pond, and hopefully the outdoor wood turtle enclosure, and various other things depending upon the weather and the number of people who arrive.

I also hope to do some frog surveying this time around.

Of course, we won't be working the entire time- we'll be sure to play with some snakes and turtles, and there will be the requisite BBQ and pool party on Saturday night. Yes, it is an indoor pool!

Food and drink will be provided for the weekend. This will include limited quantities of beer, though if you plan to drink heavily you'll probably be disappointed. Please let us know if you have any particular food sensitivities or allergies.

For those coming from a distance, tenting is the preferred option assuming the temperatures are reasonable. There is also lots of floor space and even a couple of beds. Feel free to make your pitch as to why you need a bed, but generally I make them available by age in descending order. There are also hotels and some great B&Bs not far away if anyone wants to go that route.

Despite the occasional joke about me recruiting people to work on our house, this is a very valuable contribution to getting our planned educational facility up and running. If you aren't familiar with our plans to convert the property into a conservation education centre focused on Ontario's reptiles, amphibians, and fish, check out www.scisnake.com/scales.html to see some more details and some pics.

Please let me know if you are interested in participating, and feel free to pass on the invitation to anyone you think might be interested in helping out.